Zimmerman protests in Oakland turn violent; waiter struck in face

Laura J. Nelson and Rong-Gong Lin II

A wave of violence swept through Oakland on Monday night as demonstrators angry with the not-guilty verdict of George Zimmerman shattered windows, lit fires and threw fireworks, bottles and rocks at police.

A waiter was struck in the head by a hammer while trying to keep the windows protected at the Flora Restaurant and Bar, which had been smashed over the weekend during similar protests.

The waiter was seen bleeding and was sent by paramedics to a hospital, according to reporters with the San Francisco Chronicle and the Bay Area News Group, which includes the Oakland Tribune and the San Jose Mercury News.

"Protesters with black masks approached the window and tried to bang at it," bartender Phillip Ricafort told the Oakland Tribune. "[The waiter] said, 'Don't do that!' and the guy turned around and smacked him in the face with a hammer" or another metal object.

Garbage was set on fire and fireworks were thrown at police officers, officials said, while graffiti was scrawled across buildings -- one message said "REVOLT," according to KTVU-TV -- and some protesters burned U.S. flags. Windows were shattered at a Men's Wearhouse, a Comerica bank branch, and Youth Radio, according to police and media reports. A KPIX reporter said vandals broke into the CBS affiliate's television truck.

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The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a tear-gas canister detonated during skirmishes between protesters and officers.

Youth Radio windows get smashed as people nearby shout at #Trayvon Oakland protesters to stop — "That's a nonprofit!"

The protest began at about 6 p.m., police said, when about 250 people assembled at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. The demonstration quickly deteriorated into violence. After officers on the scene reported assaults, shattered windows, graffiti and small fires, police requested help from nearby law enforcement agencies after 7 p.m.

"We will continue to facilitate a nonviolent march and expression of speech for those who wish to participate peacefully," said Officer Johnna Watson of the Oakland Police Department. "Those who are engaging in criminal activity -- we will continue to arrest those persons."

Earlier in the evening, about 7:15 p.m., about 150 people marched through downtown Oakland to an onramp of Interstate 880, blocking traffic to the freeway for about 15 minutes, officials said. As the evening wore on, the crowd -- which at its largest point was about 250 people -- dwindled, Watson said.

The level of damage did not equal what happened Saturday, the night of the verdict in Florida that found former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman not guilty in the shooting death of teenager Trayvon Martin. The case has sparked a national debate about race and gun control and prompted large marches in a number of U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and New York.

It was the third night of protests in Oakland following the not-guilty verdict.